The preseason is all about evaluating players and getting ready to play real football once September rolls around. There is no bigger position in sports than the quarterback position of an NFL squad, and as such, our winners of week 1 list is largely shaped by a variety of quarterbacks.

Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin III took a little while to warm up in his first NFL action, but once he did, he looked poised and in control of the Redskins' offense. The Redskins paid a huge price tag to move up in the draft, and it already looks like Griffin will be able to adjust to the speed of the pro game just fine.

Denver Broncos

When the Broncos abandoned the Tim Tebow project in favor of a quarterback that didn't play a down in 2011, many fans were ready to riot. In his one drive and only drive of week 1, Manning was in control of the offense, and his arm looked ready to go. He was intercepted near the goal line, but it wasn't a bad decision, just an unlucky deflection. I'd say the Broncos have finally found their trigger man.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts won their preseason opener by an astounding score of 38-3. More importantly, Andrew Luck looked like he owned the Colts' offense from the first snap, which resulted in a 63 yard touchdown pass (although the ball only traveled 4 yards through the air). On a day all about Luck's debut, the young quarterback delivered in a big way.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have often been cited as being one of the worst teams in the NFL, but if their Friday night game against the Giants is any indication, they're a long way from being at the bottom of the barrel. Blaine Gabbert looked more comfortable than I can recall in the pocket, especially on the Jaguars' opening drive, and their defense is every bit as good as they have claimed. The Jaguars should be solid if they keep it up.

Philadelphia Eagles

After what was likely the toughest week of his life, head coach Andy Reid led his team to a victory against one of the best all around football teams in the league. It was a game that the Eagles managed well, especially in the second half. I know that most preseason games really are meaningless, but I got the feeling that getting the "W" meant something to those players, those coaches, and especially Andy Reid.

About Shane Clemons

Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing.